reading log: A Christmas Carol

[Lenka]

Could you try to correct this "essay" too, please? I would be very pleased...really!


A Christmas Carol
Genre: a novel


Charles Dickens (1812 – 1870)
– a writer of Victorian period; creator of English critical realism
– his books carry symptoms of his own unhappy and difficult childhood
– novels: A Tale of Two Cities, The Posthumorous Papers of the Pickwick Club, Oliver Twist, David Copperfield, A Christmas Carols and many others

The main characters: Ebenzer Scrooge – a mean and cross old man
Jacob Marley – Scrooge‘s clllegue who had died seven years ago
Bob Cratchit - clerk of Scrooge‘s
Tiny Tim – son of Cratchit‘s
Fred – Scrooge’s nephew
3 spirits: -spirit of the Christmas past
- spirit of the Christmas present
- spirit of the Christmas future


Retold by: Clare West
Stage 3

Substance of the book: Scroge is a very cross, miserable, mean, old man. He likes to save his money on everything he can, but he had never uses them. He saves every shilling and he never spends his money on (in his opinion) “unnecessary things“.
When his nephew Fred visits him Christmas Eve to his house, Scrooge just answers: “Christmas is humbug“. Scrooge’s clerk gets only 15 shillings a week, and has to work in a cold little offce, with a too small fire.
It’s Christams Eve. Scrooge is going home. Instead of the knocker of his house door he sees face of his collegue who died 7 years ago, Jacob Marley. Jacob Marley had always been very mean too. Now, there is a ghost of Jacob Marley in Scrooge’s house and tells him what happened after his death: “The spirit of every man who does not help other people in life has to travel endlessly through the world after his death.“ So has also Jacob Marley’s spirit. Jacob’s ghost actually came to warn Scrooge – he still has a chance to save himself from what had happened to Jacob. Three spirits come to visit Scrooge – “the first tomorrow at one o’clock, the second at the same time the next night, and the third at midnight the following night.
As the clock strikes one o’clock (at night), the ghost of Christmas past comes. He shows him all the Christmas Days of Scrooge’s life up to now. Scrooge cries and is really happy to see it all again. But not everything is so pleasant to see for him.
Then, the second ghost comes. It is a ghost of Christmas present. The ghost takes him to the city (Scrooge lives in London). He shows him many people poor people who however don’t have money and live in poverty, are happy. Everyone is happy about his or her life and doesn’t explain of anything. The ghost also shows him the Cratchit’s family. They have a small son, who is so weak that he haven’t walk since his birth. His name is Tiny Tim. He will probably die soon if the family won’t have money for food.
Finally, the last of the ghosts, ghost of Christmas future, comes. He doesn’t speak to Scrooge at all and doesn’t answer any of his questions. The ghost just leads Scrooge to the city (in the future) without a word and Scrooge follows him.
Their first stop is at a group of some men and Scrooge listens to their conversation. They speak about someone’s death. Scrooge suspects that just he himself is the one who id dead, but he asks the spirit who the dad one actually is. But the spirit doesn’t answer and leads him to the poor part of London. There, in a shop, a woman (Scrooge’s servant) sells clothes and left things after the dead one. She even sells his best shirt that he weared fr the funeral – she must have stolen it from him from his coffin.
Also Tiny tim dies – he was too weak to live.
The third ghost finally leads Scrooge to a cemetery, where is a grave whereon Scrooge’s name is written.
Now, Scrooge is very afraid of that the dead person is himslef. Scrooge and the ghost go round Scroge’s office, later. Scrooge wants to have a look in. It’s still an office, but there aren’t any of his things! Then they come to Scrooge’s house , but all the expensive curtains and all his things have disappeared.
Scrooge is very frightened of death and asks the spirit if himself will die. The ghost doesn’t answer and changes itself into a bedpost.
Suddenly, everything around him changes and it’s morning again. It’s just the Christmas Day. Scroge doesn’t want to die and wants to help poor people. He looks through the window and sees a boy. He tells him to buy a big turkey and sends it ti Cratchits. In the city he meets gentlemen that collect money for poor people. He gives them money. He comes to his nephew Fred, and spends the rest of the Christmas Day with him and his family. He also promises Bob Cratchit to pay him twice more money than bfore. Tiny Tim doesn’t die and Scrooge becomes his second father. Scrooge lives a happy life – he is a good man now and has many friends.

My own opinion on the book: This is a well-known and a very good book. Of course I liked it. I’ve even known the story before, I just didn’t know that it was written by Charles Dickens and called A Christmas Carol. This book was worked up to many other shapes, there are many films and even musicals about the story.
To someone it can also seem as an instructive book – as the ghosts tell Scrooge how he should behave.

[Tdol]

his books carry symptoms of his own unhappy and difficult childhood- I'd say something like 'reflect' or 'are influenced'
never uses them- it
a too small fire- a fire that is too small
he sees face- the face
So has also Jacob Marley’s spirit- delete also
who however don’t have money- 'however' should have comas around it, but the whole phrase is unnecessary because you've used the word 'poor'
the Cratchit’s family- the Cratchit family or the Cratchits
he haven’t walk- hasn't walked
that he weared fr- wore for